(PRESS RELEASE) The Jazz Journalists Association announced winners of 2009 Jazz Awards at the Jazz Standard in New York City Tuesday, June 16, honoring 90 year-old elder statesman Hank Jones and 25 year-old up ‘n’ coming bassist-singer Esperanza Spalding, among 40 more musicians, presenters, jazz supporters and jazz journalists for the 13th year. Recipients of the Jazz Awards receive engraved statuettes from the international organization of some 450 writers, broadcasters, photographers and new media producers.

The three-hour cocktail-barbeque party was attended by 150 jazz movers and shakers, record company executives such as Bruce Lundvall, celebrated during the 70th anniversary year of Blue Note Records which he revived, and George Wein, named “Producer of the Year,” perhaps for announcing plans to sustain the Newport Jazz Festival, which he established in 1954. Also in attendance: Maria Schneider, Terence Blanchard, Anat Cohen, Roswell Rudd, Frank Wess, Sue Mingus, Michael Cuscuna, Dr. Agnes Varis, and Richard Parsons (for the Jazz Foundation of America).

Music at the event was provided by the Charles Tolliver Big Band, Romanian pianist Marian Petrescu and Swiss guitarist Andreas Öberg, Jane Bunnett’s Spirits of Havana, saxophonist Carol Sudhalter accompanied by pianist Daryl Sherman and the Matt Miller Trio. Boosey and Hawkes, the Jazz Foundation of America, North Coast Brewing Company, Resonance Records, Sunnyside Records and SESAC, Inc. are among some of the sponsors of the 2009 Jazz Awards.

All recipients of the Awards are listed below. To see all finalists nominees, go to www.JazzJournalists.org or www.Jazzhouse.org. Further information on the Jazz Awards is available from Howard Mandel, jazzmandel@earthlink.net. The Jazz Journalists Association is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards 2009

Lifetime Achievement in Jazz

Lee Konitz

Musician of the Year

Sonny Rollins

Composer of the Year

Maria Schneider

Up & Coming Artist of the Year

Esperanza Spalding

Events Producer of the Year

George Wein, New Festival Productions

Record of the Year

Appearing Nightly

Carla Bley Big Band

(Watt/ECM)

Latin Jazz Album of the Year

Song for Chico

Arturo O’Farrill

(Zoho)

Historical Recording/Reissue of the Year

Road Shows, Vol. 1

Sonny Rollins

(Doxy)

Historical Recording Boxed Set

The Lester Young/Count Basie Sessions 1936-40

(Mosaic)

Record Label of the Year

Mosaic

Female Singer of the Year

Cassandra Wilson

Male Singer of the Year

Kurt Elling

Instruments Rare in Jazz

Richard Galliano, accordion

Large Ensemble of the Year

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Arranger of the Year

Maria Schneider

Small Ensemble Group of the Year

SF Jazz Collective

Trumpeter of the Year

Terence Blanchard

Trombonist of the Year

Roswell Rudd

Tenor Saxophonist of the Year

Sonny Rollins

Alto Saxophonist of the Year

Rudresh Mahanthappa

Flutist of the Year

Frank Wess

Baritone Saxophonist of the Year

Gary Smulyan

Soprano Saxophonist of the Year

Branford Marsalis

Clarinetist of the Year

Anat Cohen

Guitarist of the Year

Bill Frisell

Pianist of the Year

Hank Jones

Organist of the Year

Dr. Lonnie Smith

Strings Player of the Year

Billy Bang

Bassist of the Year

William Parker

Electric Bassist of the Year

Steve Swallow

Mallet Instrumentalist of the Year

Joe Locke

Percussionist of the Year

Hamid Drake

Drummer of the Year

Brian Blade

Periodical of the Year

JazzTimes

Website of the Year

AllAboutJazz.com

Blog of the Year

Jazz Beyond Jazz

By Howard Mandel

www.artsjournal.com/jazzbeyondjazz

Best Book about Jazz

A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music

By George E. Lewis

(University of Chicago Press)

Best Photo of the Year

Hank Jones, Montreal Jazz Festival 2008

By Kris King

The Lona Foote-Bob Parent Award for Photography

John Abbott

The Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Award for Broadcasting

Ben Young, Director, WKCR

(Columbia University)

The Helen Dance-Robert Palmer Award for Review and Feature Writing

Nate Chinen

Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Journalism

Mike Zwerin

The Jazz Foundation of America and the Jazz Journalists Association Special Career Honors for Words with Music

Mark Murphy

2009 “A Team” Awards:

Herb Alpert

Musician, Producer, Jazz Supporter

Dr. Agnes Varis

Jazz Angel

Bruce Lundvall

Record Man

David N. Baker

Jazz Educator

Timuel Black

Cultural Historian

Steven Saltzman

Chicago Jazz Advocate

Ruth Price

The Jazz Bakery

Clarence Acox

Garfield High School, Jazz Band Leader

Scott Brown

Roosevelt High School, Jazz Band Leader

Peter Levinson

Author and Publicist

Richard Sudhalter

Author, Journalist, Musician